Solving a classic dilemma

Peking Opera is no stranger to the silver screen. Dingjun Mountain (1905), the first Chinese movie, is a recorded clip of a Peking Opera excerpt. Peking Opera films once played a dominant role in the 1960s and '70s, but its growth was dramatically stunted with the arrival of more diversified entertainment.

Luckily, in recent years, the vintage art of Peking Opera films has, once again, risen in popularity, as noted by screenplay writer Gong Yingtian. In 2015, a national alliance of Peking Opera films was established, giving impetus to the further development of the genre, and many such films have been nominated for domestic film awards.

However, the overuse of special effects in real-life scenarios that can be seen in many film adaptations of Peking Opera plays has destroyed the original charm of the stage performances.

"A way out is to find suitable directors who really appreciate Peking Opera, not to chase after famous directors who made their name in other genres," Gong says. "We cannot sacrifice the imagination (enabled by the stage) for a movie's expression."

In this aspect, Havoc in Heaven may be seen as a good example, according to Liang Hansen, head of the national alliance. "Visual effects meet an expectation of the audience, but the fighting scenes are realistic. That has proved to be the right way to mix the forms of Peking Opera and films effectively, based on a solid concept."

The movie is potentially a turning point, says Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association. "To nurture the audience's taste is a long-term project," Rao says. "It will be great if we can breed an interest in younger viewers while better displaying the cultural significance of Peking Opera to the filmgoing public."